Spped Cameras!!

[Ladalukey]

Got caught on camera.... already have 5 points from previous court case involving me going to fast in plods opinion. Wouldn't mind but i was going 36mph on a dual carriageway with no0one on the road, no pedestrians around and got buggered1

Never drink and drive, have never touched drugs, mobile stays in boot when driving and always wear seatbelts. Never, ever had an accident (apart from tumbling of me bike!) and i get fingered by the GATSO scum cameras. I'm soooo MAD!!!

So 8 points on the licence and another fine. Merry Christmas Mr Blair.

[flytedsamara]

Don't make more cameras, Make the driving test harder to pass!!! When I passed my test in 99 I could operate a vehicle but not DRIVE! Too many idiots out there think they know everything and it spoils things for us good drivers. Oh and old ppl should be tested every year from 70 up.
<<gets>>

[Jonno]

There used to be a camera partially hidden on the A16 near North Thoresby. It was behind some bushes and it must have caught someone out as I noticed a while later it had a chain wrapped round it and was on the grass verge with the words 'MOTORISTS REVENGE' scrawled on the post that once held it up.
Now I agree with David that limits are set and should be adhered to even if they are stupid and that if you dont break the law then you dont get caught - that applies to everything not just motoring, it is as simple as that basically.
I could probably tell you all the speed camera positions from Louth to Southampton but that dont mean that I go crazy in between them.

[Neil Chowney]

Lukey, very sorry you got caught however I'm in agreement with Gadget on this, if the limits 30, its 30. Whether it should be 30 is another matter.

Without sounding like on old &&&, driving a bit over the drink drive limit is not OK, driving making a bit of a phone call is not OK so it follows about speed.

Having said that, there are way too many cameras in unsuitable places but seeing as there are just there to raise revenue this is not a surprise.

We've all done it and most of the time we get away with it but the more you do it the greater the chance of getting caught.

and i'm going to be controversial here as well, instead of blaming the motorist for mowing down little Johnny at 35 mph and getting all rightgeous about excessive speed, 4x4's and other easy targets, what about educating Jonny about buggering about in the road?

If he got hit by a train when playing on the tracks, do they rear up about train speeds or try to crucify the driver?......

[flytedsamara]

Thats my point too. speed doesnt kill - carelessness does!

[Ladalukey]

I CAN'T HELP SPEEDING!!!!! I have a medical condition.... my right foot weighs too much..... It's nigh on impossible for my Niva to function at 30mph...... the speedo said 25mph.... there was leaves on the line...... I couldn't see my teammates in the grey kit..........

[Jonno]

It does make you wonder what sort of world we are heading for doesn't it regarding the kids of today. Never used to have these probs before.
If you got caught by the village bobby and got taken back to your parents house then not only would you have got a clip round the ear from plod but by dad too!!
Its bad now but what the future holds is scary, you daren't say owt to the little feckers,

[Jonno]

Health and safety is the biggest and fastest growing strain on resources ever. It is litterally crippling businesses to try and comply with all the beurocratic red taped legislations. Usualy run by jobsworths that have no comprehension of the reality of working practices, office based officianados that hide behind the guise of "its safety - you can't argue against safety"
Want to add anything David??

[ladaboy]

Anyway back to speeding.......

If you murder someone you go to prison.

If you rape someone you go to prison.

If you get caught speeding it costs you a few quid and some points.

I interpret this to mean that speeding is not so bad compared to other crimes, and the punishment is also not so bad. If I get caught for speeding once every couple of years, the points will never really mount up and the costs are miniscule compared to the cost of tax, fuel etc.

So speed if you want to, but remember if you can't do the time, don't do the crime!!!

P.S Buy a new AA road atlas, they have all the fixed camera locations.

P.P.S I'm talking about people who go a few mph over ths limit, not idiots who do drive at twice the speed limit in residential streets. You have to draw a line somewhere.

[Neil Chowney]

Very sensible, however the limit is there as just that, a limit. There has to be a mathmatical cut off somewhere.

Just wait until we all have black boxes for road charging, guess what the next add-on they forgot to mention will be......average speed between two fixed points via GPS....instant fine in the post.

Good job we live in a free country, hate to think what a restrictive one would be like......

[ladaboy]

Agree the line has got to be drawn somewhere. But I think in many cases the limit is too low.

Speed limit on country A roads in 1970 when the typical car was a Vauxhall Viva on 155s with no ABS or traction control, with basic tyres and bad road surfaces = 60mph

Speed limit on country roads in 2006 when most cars have ABS, many have traction control, handling is vastly superior, tyres are wider and use better compounds, new roads have better grip, less hairpins, better cat's eyes, signage etc = still 60mph

And it will probably be reduced to 40mph because some farmer has a driveway within half a mile.

Also, given that the speed limit is arbitrary, why do the police insist of prosecuting people doing 42 in a 40 zone - this DOES happen!

[Neil Chowney]

I agree in principle but you need to also factor in a couple of other things as well.

We are far more tightly packed on this island then we were in 1970, and the standard of driving ability has plummeted since 1970.

Also around 1970 most (not all) cars were distinctly less happy at post 70 mph speeds so it was a bit more self limiting.

Technically my old Rover will do well over 100, however this is on skinny cross ply tyres and single circuit, single leading shoe brakes. It was also made from recycled WW2 bomber panels so apart from a chassis like the forth road bridge the rest of the body was decidedly 'iffy' crash wise.

It also had has the stopping distance of the QE2.

I therefore don't need a sign to tell me not to travel over 70 or to tailgate the vehicle in front.

All this 'character' has now gone on modern cars. Drivers now think they have a Sherman tank that handles like a Porsche and they all have the driving ability and reactions of M Schumacher!

[flytedsamara]

I agree. Even though the driving test is now more difficult, people who have just passed their test dont know how to drive. plus, moderncars give a more detached feel due to their cruise control, power steering, power brakes etc. At least in my Samara the point I get scared is the point where I'm driving too fast. When I had a '03 astra I used to look down at the speedo and it would be registering 80 - 100 and I could hardly tell.

[Hoodoo]

You cannot be prosecuted for travelling at 42mph in a 40mph zone. The law allows for a 10% speedo error, either way, so you would have to exceed 44mph in order to be prosecuted.
Whilst I agree that vehicles and equipment have improved over the years, the same cannot be said of the drivers around today. They are more impatient, less courteous, and very often downright ignorant when compared to the drivers of twenty years ago. How many times have you seen a vehicle approaching a 'Give Way' at a junction, and wondered whether they were going to be able to stop? Drivers today seem to rely almost entirely on the ability of their vehicle to get them round corners, stop, stay on the road, and keep them out of trouble, whilst drivers of earlier generations relied, and still rely, on skill - the ability to read the road, anticipate fools and idiots, and avoid the stupid buggers!
The answer's simple: if you see a posted speed limit, then do not exceed it. Is that so difficult to understand?? And remember that the 30mph limit only needs to be signed at the area limits, not within.
Regards,

[ladaboy]

Cheers for the correction Hoodoo. I think I was probably exaggerating with 42 in a 40 zone (but I bet it happened somewhere!)

FYI The legal tolerance for speedos across UK and Europe is -0% / +10%+4kmh. So at an actual speed of 42mph the speedo could legally read between 42mph and 48.7mph. Therefore if a copper stopped you at an actual speed of 42mph you would not be able to claim that your speedo said 40mph. So he could quite reasonably book you if he wanted (assuming his radar gun was accurate enough to make it stick in court)

Yes that's right, I design speedometers for a living!!!!